A recent report released by environmental working group, a consumer protection agency, has found that many popular sunscreens contain chemicals that are known carcinogens, which defeats their intention of preventing skin cancer.
The research shows that sunlight combined with certain sunscreen ingredients can damage skin cells, which leads to the development of cancer cells. Unfortunately, the United States FDA, has supposedly been aware of this critical research for the last decade, but has not acted to warn consumers about it.
According to a news story released by AOL news, approximately 50% of sunscreens tested contained vitamin a ingredients and derivatives like retinol and retinyl palmitate, which studies conducted by the FDA have demonstrated its ability to cause cancer when exposed to sunlight.
Also, an older FDA study explains that sunscreens containing vitamin A ingredients cause tumors and lesions to develop and spread almost 21% faster than sunscreens that do not contain vitamin A ingredients.
To be clear, vitamin A found in food and nutritional supplements is absolutely essential for good health. Vitamin A added to sunscreens are chemically different, and their interactions with sun rays, in particular, ultraviolet rays actually create carcinogens in the scan.
According to Jane Houlihan, when questioned by AOL news about the issue, “The FDA continues to remain silent about the dangers of vitamin A and sunscreen, including its recent updated sunscreen guidelines that make no mention of them.
“There was enough evidence 10 years ago for the FDA to caution consumers against the use of vitamins A in sunscreens. The FDA launched this one is study, completed their research, and now 10 years later, they say nothing about it, just silence.”
AOL news question the FDA about this matter, and a spokeswoman responded by claiming that the agency “thoroughly checked” its records and could not find any evidence of such a study.
However, a report issued in 2000 by the United States national toxicology program site the same FDA research which found that vitamin A derivatives are both phototoxic and photocarcinogenic.
The Environmental No Working Group tested numerous sunscreens and found that only 7.8% that were tested as part of its annual analysis turned out to be “Safe effect was a warning to the group’s safety standards. The remaining 92.2%, which represented hundreds of sunscreens on the market currently, contain one or more ingredients known to be harmful to health, which is a very shocking number when considering how widespread their use is. .
Regarding safe sunscreens to use, the group recently released its fifth annual sunscreen guide, a database of more than 1700 sun products from 292 brands that are recognized as containing non-toxic and safe ingredients.
Ideally for health, however regular exposed to sunshine without the use of a sunscreen is necessary for obtaining and maintaining healthy levels of vitamin D. The vast majority of sunscreens block the ultraviolet B sunrays that are responsible for stimulating the production of vitamin D in the skin.
The vitamin D Council, a nonprofit group dedicated to raising awareness about the importance of vitamin D for health, recommends that all individuals use the Sun as their primary source of gain vitamin D. Depending on your skin type, meaning your level of pigmentation, you will need anywhere from 15 minutes to over a half an hour of daily sunlight exposure. In order to achieve and maintain optimal vitamin D levels.
Source:
AOL news